


Smokey Skies

by Nikotheamazingspoonklepto



Series: Puzzle Pieces [6]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Affection, Angst, Caring, Happy? Foxes + a Raven, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Torture Aftercare, Understanding, gentle kisses, healing each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-07-05 05:36:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15857295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nikotheamazingspoonklepto/pseuds/Nikotheamazingspoonklepto
Summary: What if Neil got Kevin's text about helping Jean?





	1. Here

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks fuzzballsheltiepants for betaing!!! <3

“ _ Help Jean and he’ll help you. _ ”

Kevin’s text is burned in the forefront of Neil’s mind as he swallowed thickly, throat sore from screaming himself hoarse while Riko carved line after bloody line into his chest. Four in total this time, ‘only four’. TODAY.

Sadistic fuck.

Four very deep gashes in his already abused skin that Jean Moreau is currently sewing shut with his slightly crooked fingers and blank, yet pained expression. The same method he had used when sewing the other gashes Riko carved into him over the past three days.

“ _ You’re good at this _ ,” Neil compliments in French, in his scratchy voice, from screaming. “ _ Thank you. _ ”

Jean flicks his cool grey eyes at Neil, exhausted, battered and bruised, wanting the little time they have left before next practice to rest, yet stuck sewing up Neil’s chest. Yet, if he does not help his partner, he too will pay the price of the Master’s wrath. So he does so, hating Nathaniel Wesninski - Neil Josten as he reminded him. Well either way, because of Nathaniel or Neil, he was bashed into the court’s walls and beaten for every mistake the brat made on and off of the court, no matter how small. He is bruised black and blue, body littered with scars similar to Nathaniel/Neil’s that he had earned, punishments for disrespecting and insulting or sassing Riko or the Master. 

“ _ Thank me by actually trying, _ ” Jean sounds passive aggressive, not caring if his needle causes any discomfort as it threads through damaged skin. He does appreciate speaking in his native tongue, the familiarity airing out some of the poison of the Nest, not that Nathaniel/Neil needs to know that. That it allows him to feel human, if only for a split second. It is more than he has had since Kevin left him last year.

“ _ Did you learn by teaching yourself _ ?” Neil asks, not even wincing at the twinge of pain the stitching causes, trying to engage Jean. If he was any good at talking to someone without having to weave lies, this might be easier. He’s been trying since he got here, to heed Kevin’s words.

“ _ Yes, by stitching myself shut _ ,” Jean glares, tying off the current suture and glances over his work alongside the healing wounds from Riko’s daily torture sessions. The first two lines that Riko carved into Nathaniel/Neil were the deepest, he was beyond angry with being spat at and insulted again. The third one only needed a couple stitches, even though it is big. The fourth one he was able to use butterfly bandages. There are so many bruises all over Nathaniel/Neil’s torso, so many cuts and scratches and scars and-

“ _ Me too. I learned how between stitching my mother or myself up after a run-in with my father’s people _ ,” Neil offers, trying for honesty. His mother’s backhand stings in his memory. 

“ _ Help Jean and he’ll help you. _ ”

He reminds himself of Kevin’s text once more. He won’t let his advice go to waste.

Jean stares at his patient, the honesty in those piercing blue eyes, mingled with pain and exhaustion. Riko said Nathaniel had been taken by his mother when he was ten years old, after the first day of a two day ‘try-out’ with five million dollars and the Butcher’s son. Moriyama property. Same as him. He says nothing and adds a final suture to the first gash when he sees that it is still oozing.

“ _ I’m sorry Jean _ ,” Neil says once his last suture is done - not that it matters, he’ll have new ones soon enough- and waits for Jean to wrap them with protective gauze.

“ _ If you were sorry, you wouldn’t have come here in the first place _ ,” Jean says after a long pause.

“ _ I have someone I need to protect _ ,” Neil winces as he is pulled into a sitting position so that Jean can properly wrap his chest.

Jean’s eyes narrow with anger. “ _ Fuck Minyard, he- _ ”

“ _ Riko was going to hurt him if I didn’t come, I had to try and save him _ .”

Jean stares at Natha- no, this is Neil. Grey meets blue, scars echo each other and bruises are painful makeovers they both go through together. Their pride and their defiance are identical, but Jean’s has been fading over the years, day by day, cut by cut. Every one of Riko’s awful mind games and the things he has done to him over the years to break his spirit has been chipping away at the person he is. Was? 

Somehow Neil Josten has yet to lose that spirit, his arrogance, his pride, and temper still intact. All because he has someone to protect, maybe he won’t come back without both physical and psychological scars, but Neil Josten is strong. Jean’s heart aches, longing for his sister, as … sure he is the best backliner in the nation and was more valuable to the Moriyamas to pay off his family’s debt, but his beautiful sister would have been sold if they didn’t need him, for -

Jean sighs and shakes his head, trying to stand up instead, legs feeling like jelly. Nathaniel/Neil fighting Riko and the Master every step of the way always leads to the two of them being punished because they are partners. When they are forced to overwork themselves, - Nathaniel/Neil especially- they begin to make more mistakes and thus earn more punishments. A vicious cycle that Jean has adjusted to over the years, but it has only been a few days and his partner might just get them both killed at this rate.

“ _ I want to help you Jean… but I need you to help me too… _ ” Neil says softly, reaching out with aching arms to steady Jean when he waivers on his feet. He finds that his claim is honest and not just because Kevin said that would be how it would work.

Jean stares at his partner for the longest breath, debating because in front of him is not a Raven, this is Neil. Neil who willingly subjected himself to two weeks of an exy player’s worst nightmare. To the Ravens. To the Master. To Riko. This Andrew Minyard, who after rejecting Riko’s and Kevin’s offer, earned Jean two days of pointless torment because of how angry Riko was. Yet, for some reason, Neil Josten is here because of him. He better be worth it.

“ _ Then move over, we have forty minutes until practice and I intend to use every last second of it to rest _ ,” Jean flicks his fingers at Neil, yes, Neil sounds better than Nathaniel, and his head spins with confusion at the exhausted smile that is offered to him. Oh, right, gratitude.

“ _ Okay _ ,” Neil sighs in relief, wincing though when he shifts to lay on Jean’s bed, closer to the wall. He is not surprised in the least when Jean essentially collapses onto the bed beside him, probably unable to move much further than the half of a step it took to get himself there. “ _ I’m not going to give into them, Jean, but I’ll try to protect you _ .”

Jean would turn his head to glare at his partner for his words, but he is too tired to do so. “ _ You can’t even protect yourself _ ,” Jean insists into his pillow. “ _ How ar- _ ” Jean stops to violently flinch at the hand that suddenly rests on the middle of his back. The touch was so sudden and unexpected; he was used to being assaulted or checked during practice; used to the Master’s punishments and Riko’s temper.

“ _ S-sorry, I should have asked _ ,” Neil whispers, feeling guilty. Really, he should have known better than to try and touch Jean, given how people are treated in the Nest. Jean isn’t even ‘people’ because he is the Moriyamas’ ‘property’.

“ _ Why did you touch me _ ?” Jean demands.

“ _ I… was trying to … comfort you? _ ” Neil winces at his own uncertainty, but he really had no idea how else to ‘help Jean’. Jean is right, he can’t protect himself and Neil only knows how to run and his mother’s words to ‘trust no one’ growl in the back of his mind every day he is with the Foxes. Now he is trying to earn someone’s trust -a Raven, Moriyama property no less, all on the advice of someone who knows his secrets. He can feel his mother’s knuckles cracking against his mouth at the mere thought.

Jean paused at his partner’s words, ‘comfort’, he was trying to comfort him. He wants to laugh at him because comfort is not something Jean Moreau has experienced in a long time. Had he been sixteen? Fifteen? He can’t remember, time was strange in the Nest. “ _ Whatever, give me a warning next time _ ,” is what he finds himself saying, because he wants that. To be comforted. To feel a soft, gentle touch that wants nothing more than to make him feel better. Not a touch that is trying to hurt or to take.

“ _...I.. I’m going to rub your back _ ,” Neil whispers after a few heartbeats. When Jean does not object, he gently places his hand between his shoulder blades and feels Jean tense, but does not remove his hand. When he feels him relax slightly, he strokes lightly from the base of his neck to the small of his back in slow strokes. Jean actually relaxes fully and he breathes an internal sigh of relief, glad that he did something for his partner. 

“ _ Help Jean and he’ll help you. _ ”

 

\---several days later---

 

Neil is required to stay in Riko’s room whenever Riko wants to ‘try and break him’, but Riko is absent during breaks as often as he is not. Neil hopes that he is with Tetsuji getting some of what he dishes out. There is no way that man can be so fucked up without having experienced some of the torment that he and Jean experience. Neither of them pity Riko. During these lulls in punishment, he stays in Jean’s room, the two of them collapsed on Jean’s bed, trying to heal.

“ _ I am so sorry, Neil, _ ” Jean whispers his apology into Neil’s freshly dyed, auburn red hair, his cheek sporting a bandage to cover up his freshly inked number four. On his bed, they face each other, with his arms carefully holding Neil close and Neil’s horribly wounded, bandaged hands loosely fisted in his Jersey, their legs tangled together. The closeness and comfort in each other’s presence are all that they have.

This is how they spend most of their breaks, as  _ Nathaniel _ earns Neil more punishments, torture and abuse, Jean earns them as well. So in those lulls, they have been finding more and more comfort in the other’s presence, their kind hands. Neil does not break or give in. After Riko or the Master tries to break him, Jean heals Neil’s physical wounds and Neil soothes Jean’s mental ones. Jean quickly realizes that this is why Ravens need partners, to survive this hell the Moriyamas have brought onto them. Being Moriyama property is far worse than being a regular five year contracted Raven, but the truth remains. Having Neil as a partner  _ helps _ .

Having a partner there to pick up the pieces or to keep them from breaking, makes this hell a lot more bearable. Jean can feel a tiny flicker of hope that not all is lost, if there are people like Neil who reminds him that there are kind touches and soft spoken words left in the world. In return he reminds Neil that he will care for him on and off the court, as best he can. Despite his defiance putting them in this position. 

Except… today, Riko had him handcuff Neil as he normally does when he ‘plays’, but this time he put the tattoo gun in Jean’s hand. This time, instead of holding his legs down, he had straddled Neil’s freshly carved and still bleeding body with the instruction to mark him so he can’t forget. He whispered his apologies in French and told Neil to hold still as he tattooed that cursed number into his freckled skin, just under his left eye. Now he will always be marked as Riko’s perfect court number four, to match his three, Kevin’s two and Riko’s one. Neil just stared up at him with forgiving eyes and wanted to hate him like he did the first time they met. 

He can’t, he doesn’t. He won’t.

Riko stood by as he stripped Neil’s hair of his box-black dye and returned him to his natural hair color of auburn red. Heart clenched as he held Neil down while Riko told Neil exactly what would happen if he ever tried to change his appearance and with a few fresh lines carved into his body, sent them away.

“ _ I am so sorry _ ,” he repeats, because Neil looks like Nathaniel again, with that number hidden beneath a bandage on his cheek and body freshly stitched and bandaged and bruised. He knows that Neil is running from his father and they both know that he’s going to be so much easier to find now. He apologizes because Neil still comforted him after every one of those sessions with Riko that he was forced to hold him down while Riko tortured him.

“ _ No… it would have been worse if you didn’t do it, _ ” Neil’s voice is barely a whisper from screaming and exhaustion of being here. He thinks that maybe, his two weeks are up, but he cannot be certain. He places a kiss on Jean’s bare, scarred collarbone, because it hurts to run his hands over Jean’s body for too long. When he receives a kiss to the top of his head, he smiles with his lips still against his skin.

“ _ Help Jean and he’ll help you. _ ”

Thinking of Kevin’s text Neil kisses Jean’s skin again, somehow, glad the tiny gesture is doing so much to relax - to  _ calm _ his partner. Kevin’s advice was helpful and he is so thankful for it. Jean is not the same person that retrieved him from the airport and he knows he definitely is not either. Neil breathes out a sigh and presses closer to Jean, not even caring when Jean holds him tighter and presses against one of his bruises. He quiets his mother and ignores his aching body and knowledge of the changes made to his appearance, focusing on Jean and his comforting presence.

“ _ How can you not hate me for everything that has happened _ ?” Jean asks, thinking of how he will have to return his partner to the airport soon.

“ _ You didn’t enjoy it _ ,” Neil whispers, kissing his neck, now that he has been drawn closer. “ _ You didn’t enjoy it and you pieced me back together _ .” Another kiss and a gentle nuzzle, glad that Jean’s heart rate is easing up a bit. 

Jean almost shivers at the intimate gesture of his neck being kissed but does not question Neil. Now is not the time. “ _ You helped me _ ,” Jean murmurs into his hair. “ _ Like you said you would _ ,” you kept your promise.

“ _ I know. _ ” Neil lifts his head as Jean’s fingers tip his chin up, grey meeting blue. “ _ I tried _ .”

“ _ You did _ ,” Jean reassures him for once and kisses his partner’s forehead without any forethought if he should.

“ _ Jean _ ?” Neil is confused about the gentle kiss, even though he has been pressing them to Jean’s non-bruised skin. It does feel comforting, though, so it must be helping Jean.

“ _ Thank you, _ ” Jean presses another kiss to Neil’s face, gently over his bandaged number. He wants to say more, but he does not know what he would say. He smiles when Neil’s scabbed lips press to his number three and tucks him closer. “ _ Rest _ .”

“ _ Okay _ .”

 

\---

 

“ _ Don’t get lost _ ,” Jean orders, placing Neil’s ticket in his jacket pocket.

Piercing blue stares into cool grey.

“ _ Come with me _ ,” Neil does not ask, he begs, using all of his strength to stand in front of his partner. The man who kept him from falling apart by stitching him back together in the Nest, day after day. Kept him alive. 

Jean freezes while draping Neil’s duffle bag over his shoulders and reads the seriousness in his partner’s eyes, for his face is otherwise blank. He would be lying if he said that the thought had not crossed his mind. It would be so easy to buy a ticket and follow Neil onto the plane. But… “ _ You know I can’t, little one _ .” He holds Neil’s shoulders, to keep him steady, he tells himself. If Neil notices the new nickname, he says nothing. 

“ _ I will protect you,  _ _ we _ _ will protect you _ ,” Neil is pleading even harder, too weak to show much emotion, the two of them were run into the ground these past two weeks. He is grateful that Jean, at least, did not get carved up that way he did.

“ _ I can’t _ ,” Jean almost breaks with these words. Neil’s gloved hand shakes as it reaches up to touch his cheek, Neil’s gloves are hiding numerous bandages. The light touch is enough to keep him from falling apart. 

Neil nods, knowing this is not a battle he can win just yet. “ _ I will come for you, I promise. _ ”

“ _ Okay, _ ” Jean kisses his forehead without thinking and hugs him, relaxing at the kiss pressed to his chest, and fingers gripping his jacket. Both of them flinch as his flight is announced to be running on time. “ _ Go, you sassy Brit, _ ” Jean teases and gently pushes him back.

“ _ I’ll find a way to help you _ .” Neil trembles as he walks backward, toward his gate. He doesn’t have the energy to tease him back.

  
“ _ Go _ .” Jean watches as he does and doesn’t turn until Neil is through security and out of sight. He heads back to the Nest, holding onto the thread of hope that Neil sparked with that promise. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks, Fuzzballsheltiepants for betaing!!! <3

“How is he?” Neil asks Renee quietly when he enters the room to find Allison at her side.

Allison rolls her eyes at how pitiful Neil looks, wringing his hands. “I’ll catch you later, Ren.” At this point, they have all grown used to Neil’s one track mind.

Renee watches Allison go off and pulls out her cell phone, pulling up her conversation with Jean Moreau, placing it in Neil’s hands once he is sat beside her. “You know, you  _ can  _ text him yourself…” she insists with a gentle smile. “He asks about you every time we talk.”

Neil gives her a tight smile. He can't shake the memory of how damaged Jean looked when Renee had gone over at the Longhorns game, nor how his eyes had glanced over to where Neil stood with his team, just a few spare yards away. It had taken him a shocking amount of effort to not just, go over and steal his Raven partner away. It would have been a lot messier and not as simple as that, but he wanted to save him like he promised.

He reads through the messages, that are clearly coded and carefully worded. It is not hard to figure out that ‘Sass Master’ and ‘Trouble’ is Jean’s reference to him. Renee’s ‘He thinks of you often.’ makes him smile.

“You keeping in touch with him and checking on him is enough. If Riko knew I was still in touch with him, I am not sure what he might do to Jean.” Neil is still uncertain around Renee, knowing how dangerous she is beneath that good Christian girl facade, but she is his only link to Jean at the moment and might be the only way he can keep his promise.

“If you change your mind, I have a phone call arranged with him tonight.” Renee takes her phone back, tucking it away. “He really is too peaceful of a person to be in a place like that.”

“I know,” Neil offers a smile. He really is.

 

\---

 

“ _ What did he do? _ ” Neil chokes in French when he barges into Abby’s house, Kevin stumbling after him. Neil’s own wounds are still healing, stitches pulling and burns aching. Andrew, Nicky, and Renee followed after them a bit slower. Andrew and a worrying Nicky stay in the living room while Renee hovers in the hallway outside the guest room-turned-sick room, her typically gentle expression tight, serious.

Renee and Aaron had arrived maybe half an hour before the Monsters did. Renee had asked Aaron to go with her to retrieve Jean with her when she found out about Kengo’s death and the two of them left the cabin to do so. Aaron didn’t want to go at first, but that look in Renee’s eyes told him that he might be needed and she wasn’t really asking. Good thing he went, as Aaron barely managed to stop the bleeding the entire trip from the Nest to Abby’s. Turns out Renee drives more dangerously than Andrew when it is necessary.

At least, that is everything Neil learned a few hours ago after Andrew finally decided to tell him that Renee and Aaron were en route to Abby’s with a wounded Jean. He wanted to kill someone for not telling him that Jean had been tortured so badly that he needed to be rescued and was adamant he should have been brought along. That argument had lasted all of thirty seconds before Andrew had to grab him by the back of his neck and remind him to breathe. That he wouldn’t have done Jean any good in his current condition and freaking out like this now isn’t going to do Jean any good either. Neil had managed to choose his battle and had fidgeted in the back seat the entire ride there.

“You can’t just barge in here like that!” Aaron snaps, looking up from where he is butterfly bandaging a cut on Jean’s chest together. His gloves are stained with blood.

Everyone ignores him, focusing on the bloodied up Raven.

“ _ Me? _ ” Jean winces, looking to the door to find his partner, bandages covering most of his body that is visible, walking toward him. He tries to keep still for Abby to place his IV, but the sight of his mummified partner sparks something in him. His head is foggy from the painkillers she has already injected him with. “ _ What happened to  _ _ you _ _? _ ” He curses at Aaron when he presses him down by his bruised, carved up chest when he tries to sit up. Jean decides to ask about the state Neil is in later on.

“ _ This is not what I had in mind when I said I would help you _ ,” Neil whispers, stepping up beside Abby when she’s placed the IV catheter, taping it to Jean’s forearm. The first thing he notes is that his face is bruised and bleeding in a couple places and the chunks of hair ripped out of his scalp. Without flinching, he gently takes Jean’s heavily damaged, swollen hand when he reaches out, in his own bandaged hand, amazed at the amount of strength Jean still has, given the state he is in. He hopes Riko didn’t cripple him the way he had Kevin, trying to not think about it and passionate blue stays locked with tormented grey. 

“ _ No, I didn’t think it was, but Renee got me out _ ,” Jean doesn’t even wince when Abby begins cleaning the dried blood from the slowly oozing gash on his left brow. “ _ The drugs help though _ .”

“ _ Rare treat for you _ ,” Neil jokes dryly. Jean’s split lips twitch in amusement.

“ _ Trouble, _ ” Jean whispers, closing his eyes when Abby moves in to suture his brow. “ _ I bet you wished you at least had local anesthetic when I was sewing up the wounds you got for that sassy mouth of yours _ .”

Kevin inhales sharply from the doorway, shifting uncomfortably, watching Aaron and Abby work on his old friend. Watching his boyfriend comfort Jean so easily. He has never seen Jean like this. He can’t help but wonder what happened when Neil was in the Nest.

“ _ Booze would have worked, it’s what mum used, _ ” Neil reminds Jean and for his troubles, receives a pained expression. Neil tries to smile as he looks down at Jean's mangled hand. He swallows hard as he realizes how it mirrors his own. He would laugh at the irony that he and his partner are sharing similar punishments, even being apart for three long months. “Abby… I... his hands…”

“ _ Don’t worry about that now, little one, _ ” Jean shushes his partner, wishing he could squeeze his hand, but they are too swollen from Riko damaging each one of his fingers when he got bored with shredding his chest and thighs. 

“ _ What if you can’t play? _ ” Kevin asks and freezes when Neil snaps his gaze on him. 

“ _ Kevin, not the time, _ ” Neil scolds him. He’s more worried of Jean having a severe handicap, making his day to day life even more difficult, let alone play exy. Jean never cared for the game the way he and Kevin do. For Jean, it seems to be a means to an end. If he ever did love the game, Riko and the Master beat it out of him.

“ _ Sorry... _ ” Kevin frowns, his brilliant green eyes raking over Jean, taking in how both Abby and Aaron work to close up his wounds inflicted by Riko. There is so much blood and Kevin is afraid to see what kind of wounds are hidden beneath the rest of his clothing.

“Aaron, I need more anesthetic,” Abby cuts in, her patient’s wounds more important than the emotional conversation in French taking place. She shoos Neil back while Aaron leans in to watch her work with the new needle.

“Are they doing as good of a job as I do?” Jean asks, eyes still closed while Abby stitches his brow shut. He feels Aaron move the sheet to reveal his carved up thigh and doesn't even flinch when Aaron wipes away dried blood with gauze. 

“Better, Abby is a nurse and Aaron’s fingers haven’t been broken repeatedly,” Neil grins, looking at how carefully Aaron works alongside Abby.

“ _ Brat, _ ” Jean mutters, opening his eyes when Abby finishes his eyebrow gash.

“You're not going back, right? You have a place with us,” Kevin finally finds his voice again. 

“I am not going back, but even if I can still play, I want to be as far from there as possible.” Jean tries to flex his fingers, not surprised at the shooting pain he feels. Seven of them are broken and two of those were solid breaks, two are severely sprained. His right thumb is the only finger not damaged. Shocking how Riko managed to miss that.

“What, are the Foxes not good enough for you?” Neil teases, but falls short, looking at his partner's mangled hands. It looks like Abby or Renee or Aaron reset them as best as they could. “ _ I said we'd protect you here _ .”

“Orange clashes with my complexion,” Jean says seriously. 

“I'm sure another team- the- ...the Trojans would be happy to take you in,” Kevin suggests. “Knox would do it in a heartbeat.”

“Who even said that I  _ want  _ to play?” Jean blinks, looking at Abby when she makes Neil back away, releasing their damaged hands. His chest clenches painfully at the loss of contact, but she needs to work on the rest of his wounds. 

“I- you're the best backliner in the country though,” Kevin argues, stepping closer to the bed. 

“Kev,” Neil frowns at him. The three of them have a stare down. Aaron scoffs at the conversation.

“Let's see how his hands heal up first,” Abby is stern, looking at the boys for a moment and refocuses on stitching Jean's thigh that Aaron had cleaned. Again Aaron watches carefully, handing her tools as she works.

“You're going to stress him out, more than you already are,” Aaron tells Kevin, studying Abby’s handiwork. 

“But-" Kevin looks down at Neil when he presses a bandaged hand to his chest. “I'll text Knox just in case,” he insists and walks out of the room to avoid arguing. 

“One track mind,” Neil sighs, looking to Renee when she walks in. 

“You're one to talk, Josten,” Aaron mutters. He is still on the fence with his relationship with him, but the therapy sessions with his twin and Bee have been… enlightening. 

“It comes from a place of good intentions,” Renee assures them, smiling in a soothing manner.  She chuckles at Jean’s and Aaron's eye rolling.

“Okay,” Jean hums and yawns, everything is catching up with him, the morphine working its way into his system. “ _ Little one, can you keep watch? I need to rest _ ,” Jean tells him as his eyes grow heavy.

Neil smiles weakly at his partner and nods, knowing Jean does not yet trust these people as much as he can. “ _ I promise. _ ”

 

\--- a few days later---

 

“The swelling has gone down significantly. You will most likely need reconstructive surgery, but hopefully, the crookedness doesn't bother you. Otherwise, you should make a full recovery.” Abby smiles at Jean, finished examining his hands. Her eyes follow how Jean immediately reaches to place his right hand in Neil’s.

“Great! Knox said he's happy to come here to escort you to California,” Kevin exclaims, relief washing over him. 

Jean rolls his eyes, looking to Neil. “ _ Should I go? _ ”

“ _ You deserve to play with a team that won't hurt you. You have two years left on your contract, enjoy them, _ ” Neil swallows. He and Kevin have discussed it extensively, his boyfriend making a good point when Neil argued with him about it being Jean's choice. Jean needs his freedom before he is ultimately entrapped by the Moriyamas again.

“ _ You'll visit me after championships _ ?” Jean looks at his partner with his soft grey eyes full of uncertainty.

Neil stares at Jean. His bruises look awful and his head is shaved because of the missing chunks; most of his body is damaged and he is obviously in pain. But he is now safe and that fact alone seems to make him look more at ease. Less guarded, lighter. “ _ I said I'd help you, didn't I? _ ”

“ _ Okay _ ,” Jean agrees finally. “I'll go.”

“Good,” Kevin nods and grins, earning exasperated looks.

Jean hopes he won’t regret this decision. Neil hopes he isn’t doing more damage than good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't mind me, I'm just having feelings...
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please leave kudos or comments if you enjoyed!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jean is in southern California and starting to heal. Neil is happy with his boyfriends. But when the three Foxes head west to visit, it's impossible to deny Neil and Jean's connection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally finished! This beautiful 'What if?' story has come to a sweet and sappy close! <3
> 
> Thank you fuzzballsheltiepants for betaing as always!
> 
> Italics are French speech.

\--- California, May---

 

“ _Beautiful Jean!_ ” Neil calls out, skidding to a halt in front of his Ravens partner. He barely nods at Jeremy Knox who is standing off to the side before Jean takes up all his attention.

“ _Little one_ …” Jean smiles softly, cupping Neil's still healing face with bandaged hands. He can't help but kiss his forehead and wrap his arms around him. He finally feels at ease since he last saw him. Jeremy is proving to be a great friend, but Neil was the first one to really comfort him, make him feel safe.

“How did the surgery go?” Kevin asks, he’s loaded down with all three of their travel bags. Andrew is beside him, his blank face managing to hide his exhaustion as they watch their boyfriend reunite with Jean.

Jean and Neil either ignore him or are wrapped up in each other, Neil stroking Jean's back and kissing his neck, Jean hiding a smile in his curls.

“It went well!” Jeremy steps in, Jean and Neil’s affectionate behaviour drawing a smile to his lips. “He should be fully recovered in six weeks, might need a second surgery, but we'll see.”

“Great news!” Kevin sighs in relief, looking down at Andrew when he cuts in.

“We can finish this discussion at the hotel we're staying in.” Andrew sounds bored, but he’s still recovering from their flight.

“You're not staying with me?” Jean frowns, pulling back to look at Neil properly.

“I wasn't going to invite myself anywhere,” Neil says honestly, hands on Jean's hips, thumbs stroking in soothing circles. “What?” he tilts his head when Jean’s eyebrows raise as he looks him over.

“I didn't expect you to be a crossdresser…” Jean takes in Neil's soft blue, long sleeve shirt that hugs his torso and flutters around his thighs, slate grey leggings on underneath. “You look cute.”

“He lets my cousin dress him.” Andrew supplies, looking to Jeremy after. “Knox, do you have room for my Junkie and his ‘beautiful Jean’?” Honestly, Neil can stay with him the entire trip, because he is tired of both his junkies talking to or about the Frenchman.

Jeremy smiles and rubs the back of his neck.  “Ah, if they want to bunk together, but I don't have space for all of you to sleep comfortably.” he looks at his phone, checking the time. “Should get going before the rush hits,” he motions to the group. “My car is in the parking garage, let's go.”

Kevin sighs when he hears Andrew mutter ‘finally’ and watches Neil cling to Jean’s arm when they move toward the exit. He fights a pang of jealousy, giving Jeremy a sympathetic smile when he sees the same jealousy flit across his face. He feels better when Andrew gives a light pinch to his wrist before he urges him on. Neil is still theirs at the end of the day and he knows it should be enough. Then Neil turns back to see where they are and smiles at Kevin when their eyes meet and relief washes over him, soothing the pangs in his chest.

 

\---

 

“I've never seen Jean so relaxed,” Jeremy tells Kevin, sitting beside him at the round table at the restaurant they met up at for lunch. While Andrew demolishes his third bowl of ice cream, Jeremy and Kevin watch Jean and Neil catch up, somehow finding something to talk about since the day before.

“Neil has that effect on people,” Kevin muses. “Are things working out? Life was different in the Nest.” He ignores the way Andrew snorts at that.

“I think so,” Jeremy smiles, not taking his eyes off of Jean. He is trying to be a good sport and not feel jealous of how easily Neil gets Jean to smile or the way they touch each other without flinching.

“How are the rest of the Trojans getting along with him?”

“Alvarez has had the best luck, but he keeps her at a distance. We get along, but he's very private.” Jeremy shrugs and smiles, because he's happy to take what he can get.

“He’s always been like that,” Kevin nods, watching Neil reach up to smooth Jean’s hair back, it has been growing slowly from him shaving it because of the chunks that Riko ripped out. Right now, they look as if they are the only two people in the room. In the entire world.

“Shall we?” Jeremy asks after hearing Andrew’s spoon clatter into the now empty bowl.

Kevin and Andrew nod, looking at Jean and Neil who are hovering over each other, whispering affectionate words to each other. Andrew is impassive but Kevin and Jeremy are visibly jealous.

“If we get up and leave without saying anything, they won’t notice,” Andrew voices.

“Yes, we will,” Neil pipes up immediately, obsessively looking over Jean’s hands again.

“Then let’s go to the pier!” Jeremy beams, laughing at Jean’s eye-roll and gets up. The group heading off.

 

~

 

Neil holds Jean’s arm, looking over the water, swallowing thickly as he tries to not let the smell of the ocean bother him. It’s a good exercise in recovery or whatnot, Bee would be proud.

“You okay babe?” Kevin asks softly, leaning against the railing of the pier, emerald green eyes glittering from the sunshine.

Neil shrugs, biting his lower lip, but relaxes when Jean wraps an arm around him. “I’ll be fine, I think.” He smiles at his boyfriends and sighs pleasantly when Jean kisses the top of his head.

“What else you wanna do?” Jeremy asks when it gets quiet again.

“I want to go to Phillipes for their french dip sandwiches,” Andrew says before anyone else can.

“That’s an hour drive in good traffic in L.A.” Jeremy blinks.

“You asked.” Andrew shrugs.

“Alright we can go tomorrow,” Jeremy concedes.

“For now, let’s just explore.” Kevin grins when no one argues.

“Uh uh,” Jeremy jumps back, pulling out a camera from his bag. “Photo op!”

It's a struggle to get the other four to cooperate, but Jean agrees to a shot with Neil, if Jeremy is in it as well.  Jeremy clings to his side while he wraps his arms around Neil's waist. They get a police officer patrolling the pier to take a group shot and that's that before Andrew walks away.

 

\---

 

“ _Today was nice_ ,” Jean murmurs, smiling down at Neil in the bed they are sharing. He sighs happily when his chest is kissed softly. He's missed that.

“ _It was, I’m glad you’re safe_ ,” Neil whispers, smiling against Jean’s skin. He felt him melt from his gentle touches and kisses, wanting to keep that up.

“ _How come you don’t kiss me for real_?” Jean asks carefully when Neil kisses over his neck.

Neil grins and tips his chin up, looking at his partner with glittering eyes. “ _Why haven’t_ you _kissed_ me _for real_?”

Jean breathes out a laugh and captures Neil’s mouth with his own, carefully petting his face with his still healing hand. “ _Your boyfriends won’t mind, right? I mean-_ ” He hums when Neil kisses him again, nipping his bottom lip.

“ _What about you and Jeremy?_ ”

“ _I… well, he’s not you… he tries his hardest to be there for me, but… I don’t know…_ ” Jean sighs and feels lost, but that feeling is erased by Neil kissing him again, running his hands over his body. He gasps as he’s pressed gently onto his back, Neil straddling his hips and gliding his hands all over him, wherever Neil could reach.

Jean expects to start panicking, being underneath Neil’s ministrations, but he doesn’t. Neil’s touches are so gentle and careful, his lips soft and warm. Everything is so warm, it feels so good. Jean has to moan into Neil’s mouth, wanting more, to touch, but with his hands still healing, he’s only able to hold on to Neil’s hips. They kiss until they are both breathless, lips swollen and smiling at each other. Neil nudges Jean’s nose with his own and pecks his lips once more before laying down on top of him, smiling at him.

“ _Happy?_ ” Neil asks softly.

“ _Very, what spurred that on, little one?_ ” Jean pets over his curls and back, slowly.

“ _Nothing, you’re just so beautiful… you make me happy._ ” Neil runs his thumb over Jean’s bottom lip, blue eyes darting between soft grey, though the darkness making it difficult.

“ _That’s you, Little One,_ " Jean tugs a curl, wrapping it around his finger and sighs happily as his chest is kissed again.

“ _We can both be beautiful, Jean_ ,” Neil kisses his chest again, making Jean hum.

“ _Yeah,_ ” Jean smiles, mostly to himself. This is too perfect. “ _We can_.” Not just be beautiful, but free, alive, healing. Together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;_; So cute! Jeaneil for the win! I AM HAVING FEELINGS!!!
> 
> I cannot express how good it feels to have completed one of my WIPs!
> 
> Thank you for reading, I will be getting out Aaron's arc as soon as I can, but I have a few projects that need to be finished first!
> 
> Thank you for reading, please leave kudos and comments, let me know what you think! I love you all! 
> 
> ~Nikos

**Author's Note:**

> I think this will only be three chapters, don't hold me to it! :D
> 
> Thanks for reading, please leave kudos and comments, they are so very appreciated!


End file.
